Montana Makes Top 10 Happiest States List
If you’re still feeling the winter blues, you might want to consider taking a little trip to one of happiest states in the United States. A new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index asked 353,000 a random selection of people from every state questions regarding their quality of life.
Unsurprisingly, the happiest state in the US is…
… Hawaii.
Aloha State denizens were the most likely to say they recently smiled or laughed a lot, and they were the least likely residents to report depression or daily worry or stress. This may be related to the fact that Hawaii also has the nation’s healthiest behaviors, including good eating and exercise habits, and lower smoking rates.
Gallup’s poll relied on six measures — life evaluation on their present life situation and the one they anticipate in five years; emotional and physical health; work environment; healthy behavior; and basic access to health care, a safe place for physical activity, and t0 community satisfaction.
In the event you can’t jump on the next available flight to Hawaii, here are the top 10 happiest states and their average well-being scores (out of a possible 100 points):
- Hawaii: 70.2
- North Dakota: 70.0
- Minnesota: 69.2
- Utah: 69.0
- Alaska: 69.0
- Colorado: 68.4
- Kansas: 68.4
- Nebraska: 68.3
- New Hampshire: 68.2
- Montana: 68.0
If you’re wondering which states have their residents smiling the least, here are the 10 states bringing up the bottom of the list:
- West Virginia: 62.3
- Kentucky: 63.3
- Mississippi: 63.4
- Delaware: 64.2
- Ohio: 64.5
- Alabama: 64.6
- Arkansas: 64.7
- Missouri: 64.8
- Florida: 64.9
- Tennessee: 65.0